The Lord Of The Rings: The Return of the King (Dramatised)

A BBC radio full-cast dramatisation of the third book in JRR Tolkien's Lord of the Rings trilogy. Brian Sibley's famous 1981 adaptation, starring Ian Holm and Michael Hordern, has been divided into three corresponding parts, with newly recorded beginning and end narration by Ian Holm.

The Children of Hurin

There are tales of Middle-earth from times long before The Lord of the Rings. The story told in this book is set in the great country that lay beyond the Grey Havens in the West: lands where Treebeard once walked, but which were drowned in the great cataclysm that ended the First Age of the World.

The Hobbit (Dramatised)

The radio dramatisation of The Hobbit became a classic when it was first broadcast on BBC Radio 4 in 1968 and it continues to delight today. Tolkien's famous saga, the prelude to the Lord of the Rings, has all the ingredients of fantasy and adventure: dwarves, elves, goblins and trolls, a fearsome dragon, a great wizard, a perilous quest, and a dramatic climax.

The Hobbit (Dramatized)

Bilbo Baggins, a gentle hobbit who loves the comforts of home, reluctantly joins a company of dwarves on a journey to recover plundered gold from a fierce dragon. It's a tale of high adventure and astonishing courage, and a magical prelude to the Lord of the Rings trilogy.

The Fellowship of the Ring (Dramatized)

In the ancient lands of Middle-earth, a place of elves and dwarves, Orcs and wizards, the darkest evil and the brightest good, a hobbit named Frodo Baggins embarks on a perilous quest: to carry the One Ring, ruler of all the Rings of Power, into the shadowy land of Mordor and destroy it in the fires where it was forged.

The Two Towers (Dramatized)

The Fellowship is broken; the quest to destroy the Ring seems already shrouded in disaster. But as the evil lord Sauron readies his armies for war, Frodo and Sam continue their lonely journey toward Mordor, guided only by Gollum, a deceitful and tortured creature, helplessly in thrall to the Ring's dark power.

Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone, Book 1

Harry Potter has never even heard of Hogwarts when the letters start dropping on the doormat at number four, Privet Drive. Addressed in green ink on yellowish parchment with a purple seal, they are swiftly confiscated by his grisly aunt and uncle. Then, on Harry's eleventh birthday, a great beetle-eyed giant of a man called Rubeus Hagrid bursts in with some astonishing news: Harry Potter is a wizard, and he has a place at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. An incredible adventure is about to begin!

Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them: Read by Eddie Redmayne

A set textbook at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry since publication, Newt Scamander's masterpiece has entertained wizarding families through the generations. Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them is an indispensable introduction to the magical beasts of the wizarding world. Scamander's years of travel and research have created a tome of unparalleled importance.

The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe: The Chronicles of Narnia

Lucy is the first to find the secret of the wardrobe in the professor's mysterious old house. At first her brothers and sister don't believe her when she tells of her visit to the land of Narnia. But soon Edmund, then Peter and Susan step through the wardrobe themselves. In Narnia they find a country buried under the evil enchantment of the White Witch.

A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms

A century before A Game of Thrones, two unlikely heroes wandered Westeros.... A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms compiles the first three official prequel novellas to George R. R. Martin's ongoing masterwork, A Song of Ice and Fire. Before Tyrion Lannister and Podrick Payne, there were Dunk and Egg. A young, naïve but courageous hedge knight, Ser Duncan the Tall towers above his rivals - in stature if not experience.

Sherlock Holmes

Ever since he made his first appearance in A Study In Scarlet, Sherlock Holmes has enthralled and delighted millions of fans throughout the world. Now Audible is proud to present Arthur Conan Doyle's Sherlock Holmes, read by Stephen Fry. A lifelong fan of Doyle's detective fiction, Fry has narrated the definitive collection of Sherlock Holmes - four novels and four collections of short stories. And, exclusively for Audible, Stephen has written and narrated eight insightful introductions, one for each title.

Ready Player One

At once wildly original and stuffed with irresistible nostalgia, Ready Player One is a spectacularly genre-busting, ambitious, and charming debut—part quest novel, part love story, and part virtual space opera set in a universe where spell-slinging mages battle giant Japanese robots, entire planets are inspired by Blade Runner, and flying DeLoreans achieve light speed.

Dune

Here is the novel that will be forever considered a triumph of the imagination. Set on the desert planet Arrakis, Dune is the story of the boy Paul Atreides, who would become the mysterious man known as Maud'dib. He would avenge the traitorous plot against his noble family and would bring to fruition humankind's most ancient and unattainable dream.

The Count of Monte Cristo

On the eve of his marriage to the beautiful Mercedes, having that very day been made captain of his ship, the young sailor Edmond Dantès is arrested on a charge of treason, trumped up by jealous rivals. Incarcerated for many lonely years in the isolated and terrifying Chateau d'If near Marseille, he meticulously plans his brilliant escape and extraordinary revenge.

The Martian

Six days ago, astronaut Mark Watney became one of the first people to walk on Mars. Now, he's sure he'll be the first person to die there. After a dust storm nearly kills him and forces his crew to evacuate while thinking him dead, Mark finds himself stranded and completely alone with no way to even signal Earth that he's alive - and even if he could get word out, his supplies would be gone long before a rescue could arrive. Chances are, though, he won't have time to starve to death. The damaged machinery, unforgiving environment, or plainold "human error" are much more likely to kill him first.

The Once and Future King

The complete "box set" of T. H. White's epic fantasy novel of the Arthurian legend. The novel is made up of five parts: "The Sword in the Stone", "The Witch in the Wood", "The Ill-Made Knight", "The Candle in the Wind", and "The Book of Merlyn".

The Silmarillion

The complete unabridged audiobook of J.R.R Tolkien's The Silmarillion. The Silmarillion is an account of the Elder Days, of the First Age of Tolkien’s world. It is the ancient drama to which the characters in The Lord of the Rings look back, and in whose events some of them such as Elrond and Galadriel took part.

Norse Mythology

Neil Gaiman has long been inspired by ancient mythology in creating the fantastical realms of his fiction. Now he turns his attention back to the source, presenting a bravura rendition of the great northern tales. In Norse Mythology, Gaiman fashions primeval stories into a novelistic arc that begins with the genesis of the legendary nine worlds; delves into the exploits of the deities, dwarves, and giants; and culminates in Ragnarok, the twilight of the gods and the rebirth of a new time and people.

Publisher's Summary

Inspired by The Hobbit and begun in 1937, The Lord of the Rings is a trilogy that J.R.R. Tolkien created to provide "the necessary background of history for Elvish tongues". From these academic aspirations was born one of the most popular and imaginative works in English literature.

The Fellowship of the Ring, the first volume in the trilogy, tells of the fateful power of the One Ring. It begins a magnificent tale of adventure that will plunge the members of the Fellowship of the Ring into a perilous quest and set the stage for the ultimate clash between the powers of good and evil.

In this splendid, unabridged audio production of Tolkien's great work, all the inhabitants of a magical universe – hobbits, elves, and wizards – step colorfully into life. Rob Inglis' narration has been praised as a masterpiece of audio.

The narrator uses an annoying theatrical accent. This method of speaking was appropriate when orators and actors were performing on stage without modern sound equipment. The rolled R's and exaggerated enunciation helped listeners in the back of the theater understand what was being said. In the context of an audible book, that same accent is unnecessary, pretentious, and grating on the ear. I didn't notice it at first, but found it more and more annoying as the book progressed. now, after being forced to listen to it for 20+ hours in this first book, i am dreading having to hear it for the remaining two books.

Obviously the story is fantastic; however, the narration is mediocre at best. The narrator constantly draws deep breaths and smacks his lips during the reading. These sounds are annoying and distracting. Also, the narrator distinguishes little between character voices and he has very little dramatic range or sense. Lou Diamond Phillips has been the best narrator I have heard. If he is a 10, this narrator is a 5. Nevertheless, it's still worth the listen and the purchase if $12 or less.

There are a number of Lord of the Rings recordings out there, including a superb dramatization by the BBC. But there is only ONE set of unabridged recordings of the trilogy -- from Recorded Books and read by Rob Inglis. For many years, I've treasured the set of these recordings I have on compact disc. But never before now have I been able to find them for audio download -- until now!!! Words cannot express how thrilled I am to listen to the Lord of the Rings on my iPod (and on my Kindle too!) Audible members who have never yet heard the saga read in its entirety, you are in for a very special treat indeed! In a whole new way will you enjoy the story you've read years ago and have seen transformed into the motion pictures. It'll be almost as if you're experiencing the story for the very first time.

I think this is one of the wordy books that just works better for me to read it than hear it, and there are a few of those. My husband enjoyed the experience more than I did, maybe because he could empathize with the narrator a bit better.

Mr. Inglis came across a bit like an aged (though professional) fan-boi as he was reading, and it had the same effect for me as someone trying not to laugh at their own joke - a bit too eager, a bit too excited, a bit too, too much for a first time listener to catch the funny part of the joke.

That made it harder for me to pay attention to the story - especially with all the funky linguistics - which made the story have less impact. Knowing how much everyone else I know who has read the story has enjoyed it, I'm figuring I'll get to bump up the story rating after I actually read it for myself.

The narrator killed it for me. The voices weren't all that different and sometimes we're confused with one another. The singing near drove me insane. The story could have been made exciting and even frightening in the hands of the right reader.

What was the most interesting aspect of this story? The least interesting?

The scope of the mythical world Tolkien created is mesmerizing. Unfortunately, I was distracted by the abundance of place names, strange words, languages, and the apparent need for so much poetry and song.

How did the narrator detract from the book?

The narrator was monotone in his delivery and couldn't keep the voices he used for the characters consistent. What could have been wickedly fascinating was made dull.

If this book were a movie would you go see it?

I definitely preferred the movie to the book.

Any additional comments?

This is such a shame! Having recently listened to Daniel Pittu's incredible reading of "The Goldfinch" I suppose my standards for one mans creation of a variety of character voices had been raised.

I should start off by saying I am a huge fan of epic fantasy. The longer, and more epic, the better. And I believe The Lord of the Rings really gave birth to the genre.

If you are a fan of any fantasy genre, you should read or listen to these books. I hadn't until they were recently released on Audible, and must say I have mixed feelings. It was quite interesting to see some proto-forms of tools modern authors employ frequently, and this gives me better insight into how the modern authors work.

The story, to me, was a bit boring and too full of songs. The narrator does an excellent job singing the songs and reciting the poetry, and overall does a quite good job with the books.

I am glad the series is finally available on Audible so we can see where it all started with ease. I think anybody who enjoys Fantasy Novels should listen to The Lord of the Rings books - just don't expect them to blow you away.

What made the experience of listening to The Fellowship of the Ring the most enjoyable?

The audiobook doesn't let you skip or skim the songs (or the whole Tom Bombadil section); the result is that you experience the book as Tolkien intended it.

What does Rob Inglis bring to the story that you wouldn’t experience if you just read the book?

Rob Inglis's reading is superb on general principles - he distinguishes characters well and interprets them beautifully. But the best surprise is the authenticity and quality of his rendering of Tolkien's many songs. Heroic when that's appropriate; funny or moving or spiritual by turns, this is an effect you can't produce for yourself in a silent reading. (And Tolkien heard and authorized some of Inglis's tunes.)

I am a huge LOTR fan, but I simply cannot continue with this story in audio version. The narrator is horrible. He struggles switching between characters voices making it difficult to follow the story. This is made even harder due to the fact that he uses the same accent or tone of voice for different species of characters (wizard, hobbit, etc). I literally cringed when he did female voices, and fought the urge to fast forward simply to avoid listening for a few seconds. Dreadful, absolutely dreadful. It's unfortunate for such a beautiful and great novel series! If you enjoy the LOTR series, please save yourself the disappointment and pass this series on audio.

overall the story was magnificent. I do however believe that the reader could have poured more effort into the voices and intentions of the characters. Their motivations are often lost with the wrong inflections of his voice. Don't get me wrong and think that the tale is degraded by the reader.